The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"Alright, get up."

Naka transferred the wooden stick from her right hand to her left and extended her hand to Tatsia. But Tatsia did not accept it, sitting on the ground with a gloomy face.

Although her abilities had improved dramatically, she was completely useless against Naka. While she understood this was due to her own shortcomings, she still couldn't suppress her doubts about her own efforts and talent.

"You don't need to be so disappointed. It's precisely because you don't know how that I'm going to teach you slowly."

"Naka, I think you're more suited to be the hero than I am..."

Whether it was self-deprecation or venting her frustration, Tatya muttered to herself. But she immediately realized her words were inappropriate and apologized to Naka.

"I'm sorry, I..."

"It doesn't matter"

Naka didn't seem to care. Her tone and expression remained unchanged. But she maintained this calm demeanor, leaving Tatsia unsure whether she was truly angry. For now, she could only timidly extend her hand, letting Naka pull her up.

"Okay, take a 30-minute break. We'll continue in 30 minutes."

After Tatsia got up, Naka immediately turned and left.

If it were any other time, she would have continued discussing the training sessions with her. This somewhat unusual behavior clearly showed she was still bothered by what they had just said... Tatsia thought to herself. Although those words were a bit sarcastic, they reflected a question that Tatsia had always kept hidden in her heart. She was naturally extremely grateful to Naka. But Naka was truly a mysterious and incomprehensible person. She still had many questions she wanted to ask her.

After much deliberation, Tatia decided to simply pour out everything she wanted to say.

"Um, Sister Naka..."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry. What I said just now..."

"Didn't I say it's okay?"

"But I really care! It's not just this... Sister Naka, who exactly are you? What have you been through? You're clearly a saintess, but you're more skilled with weapons than I am, you have so much knowledge, and you can handle anything properly... You must be someone extraordinary, right?"

Tatsia's persistent questioning surprised Naka as well. But naturally, Naka couldn't answer these questions for Tatsia. She simply gave a casual reply and continued walking forward.

You don't need to know this.

"No! That's so unfair! I've told Naka everything, but she won't tell me anything... Is it because you don't trust me?"

Naka intended to slip through the cracks, but Tatsia wouldn't let it go, even running up to Naka and spreading her arms wide as if to block her way. Naka initially thought Tatsia was just being coquettish and throwing a tantrum. She couldn't hide her surprise when Tatsia actually stopped her.

"Get out of the way"

"No way!"

"I said get out of the way!"

"No!"

Naka could have simply bypassed her, or even knocked her to the ground with a punch. But unusually, she didn't choose the most appropriate method. Instead, she started shouting at each other like a child trying to out-shout. Naka knew she was wavering. Tatya, who had always been obedient to her, was inexplicably stubborn today. Even if she used those two methods to get her to temporarily leave, Tatya would still pester her if she didn't get a proper answer... After careful consideration, Naka decided to simply give the inquisitive Tatya an explanation.

Killing Tatya directly would have been the simplest and easiest option. However, this option never even crossed Naka's mind from the beginning.

"Okay... then I'll tell you a little about myself..."

Two parts false, eight parts true

Long, long ago, there was a village isolated from the world. It wasn't particularly large, nor was it particularly small; it was just a village. Like other villages, the villagers made their living by farming and herding. The village had a school, commercial activities, and many recreational facilities... Overall, it wasn't significantly different from other villages.

If I had to pinpoint a difference, there are only two... First, the villagers' tempers are much worse than those in other villages. They tend to become extremely irritable over trivial matters, sometimes even resorting to physical violence and ultimately fighting. Conflicts between people are common in any village, country, or even family. They generally don't escalate to the point of violence. The reason this village is like that is because here, murder is not a crime.

The law of the jungle prevails here. Might makes right, and the weak are prey to the strong. The village chief is negligent in his duties, and the village has not expanded in any way, nor has the standard of living improved. The facilities established by the previous village chief are mostly abandoned. The villagers kill each other simply to fill their stomachs, survive, and avoid being killed. Naka was born in this village.

This was never an environment conducive to the healthy growth of an infant. Naka's life was even more difficult and painful. The reason for this was the second unusual aspect of the village: despite her human appearance, Naka was an anomaly, completely different from everyone else in the village.

Perhaps due to the soil and water, the people of this village looked nothing more than grotesque and terrifying to humans. Their appearances were completely unlike what one would expect of a human. But Naka was the only one who possessed the features of a typical human girl. By human standards, she would even be considered quite beautiful.

But here, this was enough for everyone in the village to regard Naka as an outsider, someone to be excluded. Naka didn't know why she looked like this. She didn't know if her parents looked like her, because she had been abandoned by them from the day she was born... Furthermore, Naka didn't even know if she had parents at all. At least, from childhood to adulthood, she had never seen anyone in the village who looked like her.

From the day she was born, Naka's happy and peaceful childhood was destined to be gone. No one taught her to speak, nor how to interact with others. From the time she became aware of things, she survived solely on instinct. If someone attacked her, she would kill it. Even if they didn't attack her, when she was hungry, she would kill any creature she could see and devour their flesh.

She had no dreams, no goals; survival was her sole motivation. But because of this, she endured countless hellish hardships. Her opponents weren't just weaklings whom Naka could kill. Naka herself often failed to observe and assess her opponents' abilities, rashly attacking those far stronger than herself, resulting in nothing but crushing defeats. And those she attacked, of course, wouldn't let her off so easily; the cruel torture and atrocities they inflicted on her remain deeply etched in her memory.

She risked her life to escape, only to attack others out of hunger, and after several such encounters, she would be abused again by those she shouldn't have. Then she would escape once more... Naka experienced this life countless times over many years.

Until one day, Naka met an old man named Fan.

Perhaps Fane saw something in Naka. Perhaps it was just pity, or perhaps it was some personal desire that led him to adopt her. Initially, Naka even tried to kill Fane. But ultimately, under Fane's guidance, she tamed her violence. Fane gave Naka shelter, regular meals, taught her to speak, to read, and to think. Naka, who had survived only by instinct until now, gradually became more like a normal person under his careful guidance. She regarded Fane as her own parent, helping him with various tasks. Fane was a scholar, and under his influence, Naka gradually acquired much knowledge. And so, many more years passed in the blink of an eye.

But what Naka had done didn't simply disappear. Sometime later, somewhere, news leaked out, and someone who had once imprisoned Naka found her and came to her door. That person was the village chief at the time.

The village chief declared, "I am the head of the village. I will not let any thugs who dare to attack me get away with this." He demanded that Fan hand over Naka. Fan resolutely refused.

As a result, the village chief killed Fan. Taking advantage of the commotion, Naka escaped using a secret passage Fan had prepared beforehand. Knowing she had nowhere to stay in the village, she eventually left. But this was not the end. She vowed to continue improving her abilities outside. One day she would return to her hometown and avenge her adoptive father.

............

The above is a rough summary of Naka's account of her past to Tatsia. Naka's story to Tatsia was more detailed, more convoluted, and more tragic. Tatsia listened, only then realizing she was already in tears.

"I'm sorry, Sister Naka, I shouldn't have asked you..."

"Keep it to yourself, don't tell anyone. Even Jasmine doesn't know about this."

"Yes, I know. Just like how Sister Naka kept my secret so tight-lipped, I'd rather die than tell anyone about you, Sister Naka!"

Tatsia grasped Naka's hands tightly, as if expressing sincerity. This caught Naka somewhat off guard. But what surprised her even more was what Tatsia said next.

"I will definitely become stronger and protect Sister Naka! I will go back with Sister Naka and defeat those bad guys! I will never forgive anyone who tries to hurt Sister Naka!"

"It's not because of the story I just heard that I feel sympathy for Naka, but simply to repay Naka's kindness," Taqia said righteously.

Naka had only intended to pique her curiosity, but her impassioned speech had truly caught her off guard. She was momentarily speechless. But seeing the resolute look in Naka's eyes, which clearly showed she believed everything she said, made Naka feel a little embarrassed. A slight blush crept onto the face of this ruthless killer.

"Hurry up and go rest. We'll start the battle practice later. If you want to protect me, you still have a lot to learn."

"Um!"

Although Naka's story deeply moved Tatsia, causing her to grieve, learning about Naka's past was still a source of joy for her. She didn't let it discourage her; instead, she quickly recovered. She used her rest time to practice swordsmanship, making the most of every moment and ensuring each second was meaningful. Naka was very pleased with her attitude.

"Your Majesty, fabrication is understandable. But why did you just say I was dead?"

In Naka's story, Fan, who should have died, now complains through the cross. It's normal for him to have objections; if he were truly dead, only a ghost could be speaking now. Of course, he's not a ghost, but an undead monster.

"I'm sorry, Fan. This girl asked too hastily, and I can't just make up something that didn't happen. I can only tell you half of what happened between us, leaving the other half untold."

Naka wasn't actually born in any small village, and the person who abused her wasn't a village chief. After all, Naka couldn't tell Tatya the truth. The story just told was merely a slightly modified version of Naka's own experiences.

However, most of the facts are indeed true. If we were to divide it proportionally, the fictional part is at most 20%, while the remaining 80% is based on real events that happened to Naka. She only concealed the fact that the Demon King and other demons would reveal their true identities. Fan was indeed killed once by the village chief... who was also the former Demon King. However, after that, he was resurrected as an undead demon due to some of Naka's methods.

Naka didn't tell Tatsia what happened afterward. Tatsia's desire to avenge Naka and punish the village chief... who was also the former Demon King, was just wishful thinking from the start.

Because Naka had already killed him with her own hands twenty years ago.

Driven by the desire to protect Naka and avenge her... Tatya, still striving with these thoughts in mind, is unaware that she is currently engrossed in futile efforts that will never be of any use. She fantasizes about her future self, dreams of defeating the Demon King, punishing those who wronged Naka, and anticipates the day she can repay Naka's kindness. These impossible realities become her motivation, driving her to wield her sword meaninglessly.

Tatsia's concerns

Her efforts will ultimately come to naught, but these bubbles are still in the process of expanding. Though fragile, they are visibly asserting their existence.

After the combat training, Naka arranged for her to undergo real combat training. They started accepting missions again. Naka was responsible for liaising with the guild, and during the missions, Naka only provided guidance and healing for Tatsia, leaving all the fighting to Tatsia alone. As a result, Tatsia made significant progress once again. Now, even some rather difficult missions, Tatsia can complete them independently without Naka's support.

However, there were two things that still kept her on her mind all day long.

One is the guild leader, Mr. Ijima. Tatya still doesn't understand the reason why he doesn't allow her to form a party or go on quests. She's even wondered if it's because her being an elf has been revealed to Ijima. So what is Ijima's intention in merely preventing Tatya from forming a party, without taking any other action against her? Only Ijima himself knows the answer to this question.

Secondly, although Tatsia's strength, defense, agility, and stamina have greatly improved under Naka's careful guidance, her "magic power" attribute remains unchanged, still at 4 points. Even heroes need to learn some offensive magic. This is something even Naka cannot help with. When using "disguise," she is merely a saintess. As an elf whose mastery of magic should be superior to humans, Tatsia's low magic power has always made her feel inferior. The stronger her other abilities become, the more glaring this sole weakness becomes.

That day, after completing their mission, Tatia and Naka walked down the streets of Isaad. The mission had been a resounding success. But Tatia was still somewhat downcast. If those two problems weren't resolved, she would forever remain a half-baked individual, incapable of standing on her own.

Naka knew Tatsia's predicament. But at the moment, she had no good solutions and didn't know what to say to comfort Tatsia. In the end, she simply remained silent.

"Welcome back, Naka! Young man!"

They were greeted by a beaming Jasmine.

For over a month, Naka had been undergoing intensive training, leaving early and returning late every day, and hadn't had a proper chance to spend time with Jasmine. Jasmine, in turn, was becoming increasingly interested in Tatya, the boy Naka was so devoted to caring for. That day, Jasmine and Naka had arranged to have dinner together, with Tatya and Jasmine joining them. Having already made preparations, she waited at the hotel entrance. However, both of them wore gloomy expressions, leaving Jasmine quite puzzled.

"What's wrong? Did you two have a fight?"

"Having talent"

Naka answered quickly. Jasmine still believed that Tatia was a man and that they had an affair. Letting Jasmine continue would only create more trouble. Naka quickly grabbed Jasmine's hand and pulled her towards the hotel.

"Didn't you say we were going to eat? Let's eat quickly. I'm starving."

"Hey! Wait a minute, I haven't finished asking..."

"Ask again after you finish eating."

"Ask your questions before you eat!"

Naka, who always acted like a dignified older sister in front of Tatya, became somewhat childish in front of Jasmine, bantering back and forth. Tatya found this scene both novel and amusing. However, thinking back, they had always been like this since the very first day she met them. Tatya didn't know what to say. "Perhaps this is the real Naka," she thought, and simply followed the two noisy girls upstairs.

Jasmine had prepared a beef hot pot for dinner. When they returned to their room, the hot pot that Jasmine had prepared was already wafting out the aroma of the broth and meat.

After a quick wash and change of clothes, the three sat around a small table. Jasmine picked up a large slice of beef and placed it in Tatsia's bowl.

"Come on, young man. Eat more. You're still growing and need to get more nutrition. Ah, as for that baby-faced older sister next to you, she just looks like she's at the age where she's growing, but she's actually stopped growing. Let's just ignore her."

"You probably got this big from eating too much meat, Jasmine. Be careful, or it'll start showing in your belly."

Before they even took their first bite, the two saintesses started teasing each other again. Unable to keep up with their banter, Tatia could only bow her head and thank them.

"Thank you, Sister Jasmine..."

"Ah?...Don't be so formal! You're incredibly lucky to have teamed up with the legendary Cursed Saintess for so long without any problems. I should be thanking you for letting me have dinner with you. Maybe I can even get some good luck from you..."

"Jasmine, that's going a bit too far."

Naka spoke up at the right moment to remind Jasmine of her slip of the tongue.

Jasmine's words were meant to lighten the mood, but this natural familiarity only made Tatsia feel more awkward. She shifted nervously, unsure what to do. Realizing her good intentions had backfired, Jasmine could only honestly apologize.

"Sorry, young man. I didn't mean to laugh at you. Eat up, I'll keep quiet."

"I... I won't be polite anymore..."

This was the first time in years that Tatya had eaten with anyone other than her father, Naka. And these were strangers unaware of her secret. Even in Jasmine's presence, Tatya felt somewhat restrained and awkward. Her movements as she picked up her chopsticks were unusually stiff. Her hand, holding a piece of meat, seemed to have a mind of its own, hesitant to bring it to her mouth.

"Seriously...come on, open your mouth."

For the past month, they've been undergoing intense daily training. It's common for Tatya to be unable to hold her chopsticks and eat without Naka's help; it's something Naka is used to. Seeing Tatya in this state, Naka instinctively grabbed her chopsticks and brought the meat to Tatya's mouth. Tatya, equally accustomed to this, instinctively opened her mouth and took the meat. Then she smiled at Naka and said, "Delicious!"

This series of actions would have been perfectly fine if it had taken place in the cave where Tatsia lived. Tatsia's father had known about it for a long time. But now they had forgotten that they were in an inn. Jasmine, who was standing right next to them, clearly saw the entire process of Naka feeding Tatsia.

"ah"

"ah"

"ah"

Upon noticing this, all three cried out simultaneously. Two of the "ahs" meant "something's wrong," while the single "ah" meant "unexpected."

The first to recover was Jasmine, who was still feeling "surprised".

"What...what are you doing! Feeding them? You're feeding them, right? When did you two become so close?"

"No, no, Jasmine, listen to me..."

"Naka! You still say you and the boy aren't in that kind of relationship. Then what are you doing now! You can't do this unless the two people are really close! And the boy too, he's doing it so smoothly and naturally... How many times has she fed you? It must have been more than once, right?! I've never been fed by a man, nor have I ever fed a man... Why is it that I, who crave a partner, can't find one, while you, who always claims to have no interest in men, beat me to it!"

During the time Naka was training Tatya, Jasmine had also formed teams several times, but she hadn't been able to meet her soulmate through these teams. Her uncertain romantic future bothered Jasmine. The couples cuddling on the street seemed incredibly jarring to her. Therefore, the scene before her was truly driving her crazy. The more Naka explained, the more Jasmine perceived it as a cover-up.

Tatsia never imagined she'd be mistaken for Naka's boyfriend. Hearing Jasmine's words, she instantly blushed crimson. Seeing Tatsia's reaction, Jasmine became even more certain of her suspicions. She placed her hands on Naka's shoulders and said earnestly...

"Naka, tell me honestly... how far have things progressed between you two? Have you kissed? Or... have you already slept together? If you have, were you using protection? You can't make a mistake because of a moment of impulse. Fourteen years old may not seem young, but you're not a child anymore, you've developed quite a bit. It's not impossible for you to get pregnant on the first try."

"well....."

Tatya is actually a girl, so there's no way they can develop a relationship, and they can't be together... Naka couldn't bring herself to say these things. But if she didn't say them, the misunderstanding would only deepen. Caught in a dilemma, Naka could only sigh and rub her forehead. After Jasmine calmed down a bit, she recounted what happened during the special training.

"Yes, I see... No wonder... I'm sorry, I was just being too sensitive."

After hearing Naka's explanation, Jasmine finally understood the reason behind the incident. She clasped her hands together and apologized to Naka, who was hoarse from talking, and to Tatya, who was still huddled in a corner of the room, covering her face in shame. Jasmine added a couple more words, especially to Tatya.

"Kid, don't take it to heart. If you understood what I just said, then pretend I didn't say anything. If you didn't understand... then just pretend I didn't say anything!"

"Yes, yes..."

She didn't fully understand, but Tatsia wasn't completely clueless either. Jasmine's words kept replaying in her mind. It took her a long time to recover somewhat, and she finally managed to calm her wildly beating heart and return to the dining table.

Seemingly to ease the awkward atmosphere, Jasmine deliberately changed the subject.

"By the way, why did you all have such long faces when you came back? I heard your mission should have been a success."

"The mission was successful. But the guild still won't let this kid take on any more missions, so we had to complete them behind their backs. Also, his physical abilities have improved a lot, but he still knows nothing about magic power or attack magic. I can't teach him either."